Our Own Way
by Natmonkey
Summary: Chrysanthemum thinks Bevil is dead and sadness ensues! Rated M for explicit sex. Not for you if you don't like to read about people doin' it.
1. Return to West Harbor

_Nothing in this story is mine except for Chrysanthemum and my own filthy, filthy imagination. If something doesn't fit into the story of NWN2, forgive me. That's just minor detail. Leave a review and make my day!_

**Our own way**

Chrysanthemum steeled herself before stepping through the Song Portal. She'd heard that teleporting could make you feel quite nauseous. Once on the other side, the nausea wasn't as bad as expected, but something was definitely off. This was no Illefarn ruin.

"What _is_ this place? It looks like a ruined village, but…" Shandra spoke in a horrified manner.

Chrysanthemum's heart skipped a beat when she recognized their location. "This is West Harbor… I think," she said hesitatingly.

"Know that these are not the Illefarn ruins we seek," Zhjaeve told them in her typical way. "Is this your birth village?"

"Yes," Chrysanthemum answered softly. "Why are we here?"

"This was your home?" Shandra sounded surprised. "I didn't realize you were from a Mere village… Must've been a tough childhood."

At the moment Chrysanthemum really had better things to do than satisfy Shandra's curiosity about her childhood. The village was in shambles and she had only one thing on her mind. Bevil. There were corpses lying on the ground, and she recognized Brother Merring, Georg Redfell, even Bevil's mom Retta.

"Know that this was not our intended destination. Something is wrong," Zhjaeve understated.

"I'll say," Chrysanthemum snapped. "Everyone's dead… Look at all these bodies. Something's wrong, she says…"

Shandra understood. "Your lover. Was he supposed to be here?"

Chrysanthemum nodded. "Yes. I can't really imagine he left. He wouldn't even come with me." A lone tear slowly rolled down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away and swallowed. "Look, there are some ancient Illefarn ruins in the swamp near here. We should just get there and get this Ritual of Purification over with." She looked around her and sensed the corrupt influence of the King of Shadows in the air. "I don't think it's very safe to stick around for long anyway."

"Shouldn't we at least look for survivors?" Shandra suggested. Chrysanthemum shook her head.

"I don't want to see," she murmured.

The small group went on their way, in an uncomfortable silence. They all knew how fond their leader was of Bevil, and had al complained to one another about how she wouldn't stop talking about him. What would happen now, they didn't know. They were sure that they would probably start missing her lovesick rambling very soon.

A single thought raced through Chrysanthemum's mind. 'I lost him,' she thought. 'I'll never see him again.' She clutched the hand that wore the ring he had given her to her heart. Daeghun could be dead too for all she knew, but chances were he had escaped, being away as often as he was. Chrysanthemum found she didn't care too much about his fate. Despite the fact that Daeghun had raised her, he had never showed her a whole lot of affection. The only person who had ever shown her affection and even love, was Bevil. For now, she decided to focus on the task at hand. The final Statue of Purification, to complete the ritual to destroy the King of Shadows.

A surprise awaited them at the ruins, however. "Oh, Gods. What _is_ that?" Shandra asked, justifiably terrified of the creature that blocked their way to the statue. It was clad in dark robes, its head no more than a skull covered in a blue haze.

"It is a thrall of the King of Shadows, a shadow reaver – and there, behind it, is the Statue of Pu…" The remainder of Zhjaeve's explanation couldn't be heard as the shadow reaver destroyed the statue with a loud bang. Sparks and chips of stone went flying through the small chamber.

The creature appeared to be gloating and spoke in an eerie reverberating voice. "You have come far… for nothing," he addressed the adventurers. "The statue's power is spent, _another_ has taken it. But it will not stop us."

Chrysanthemum found she couldn't care about the fact. As Zhjaeve quarreled with the reaver and it boasted of how it couldn't die, the girl felt her anger rising.

"Let's put this immortality of yours to the test," she spoke grimly and readied her weapon.

"Yes. Prove it… thrall," Zhjaeve taunted.

In the following battle, Chrysanthemum operated on automatic pilot, too stunned to care whether she would live or die. After dispatching their foes, Zhjaeve confirmed the reaver's boast. They hadn't killed it, merely driven it off. Shandra whined about how they'd completed such a large part of the ritual for nothing, but Zhjaeve sternly rebuked that notion. Someone else had done this last part, so all they had to do was find this person. Chrysanthemum just stood there, hearing them squabble amongst each other but not truly listening or letting it register in her mind. She noticed her companions were all looking at her, waiting for her to say something.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we will find a solution," she spoke in a dull voice. "Things always have a way of working out for us." Her companions said nothing and feared for the fragile state of mind she might be in.


	2. Dealing with Pain

Back at Crossroad Keep, she locked herself in her bedroom. From her closet she took the Harvest Cloak and wrapped herself in it. It hadn't been washed and still carried the stains she and Bevil had made on it. She was lost in thought, thinking of the last time she'd visited him. The Luskan ambassador had accused her of murdering the inhabitants of Ember, and she decided to pay her love a visit. The trial was coming up soon and if she were found guilty, the Luskans would have her dangling from the gallows before you could say "But I'm innocent!"

She remembered how the kids had been delighted with the enormous bag full of knick knacks and toys from Neverwinter, thanking her about a million times and Retta shaking her head and complaining she was spoiling them. The older lady herself had been more than delighted with the luxurious dress Chrysanthemum had brought her from Neverwinter, and quickly left to try it on. Soon after Chrysanthemum and Bevil had made love and she remembered how afterwards she had lain in his arms and told him of the charges. He was furious. He was sure she'd be found innocent, and he was right. He'd always believed in her innocence, believed she couldn't hurt a fly. In truth, she had countless deaths on her hands, but none that weren't deserving of it. She had defended herself, defended her comrades, defended _him_. And now he was gone. She hadn't even been able to look for him, not wanting to see his lifeless body. Tears streamed down her face, but she made no sound. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Shandra was standing outside her room.

"Are you alright, Chrysanthemum?" she asked her friend with great worry.

Chrysanthemum smiled bitterly. "Do I look alright?"

"Yeah, stupid question. Is there something I can do for you maybe?" Shandra offered. Chrysanthemum shook her head in response.

"It would be great if you could leave me alone for a while. I really need to stay by myself."

The dull sound of her voice greatly concerned Shandra. "Alright, if that's what you want. I'll tell the others to leave you alone as well."

"Thank you," Chrysanthemum said, and closed the door. She lay down on her bed and buried her face in the pillows. After she had been found innocent, Chrysanthemum was made captain and Crossroad Keep was rewarded to her. She hadn't even had the chance to tell Bevil. He would've been so proud. She wound the cloak around herself more tightly and rolled her body into a ball. The feelings of loss and grief overwhelmed her and she wailed uncontrollably. After a while she gasped for air, hardly able to breathe. Mad with sorrow, she took the dagger from her boot and slowly made a deep cut down the inside of her forearm. She watched the blood run to the surface, trickling down her arm. The pain numbed her grief and she found that she could breathe normally again. Fascinated she stared at the vivid red color of her blood, staining the crisp white sheets on her bed. A slightly insane smile appeared on her face, and more cuts followed the first one. She'd found a way to replace her mental pain with a more physical one. Hurting herself until she bled, she could take. The pain that tore through her soul because she would never see her beloved again, she was unable to deal with. Despite her loss, she reminded herself of her duty. As the Shard-Bearer, she was the key to defeating the King of Shadows. If she were to die, all hope would be lost.

Chrysanthemum sighed and got up off her bed. She sat in front of the mirror on her dresser-table and stared at her face. Somewhere in all the books she'd read, she remembered that cutting one's hair was a sign of mourning. Her long, braided hair had to go. She went digging around in the drawer of the table, and came across a large silk-wrapped bundle. It was a finely crafted longsword she'd wanted to give to Bevil. It was forged by an export weapon smith and enchanted. Energy crackled on the metal of the blade and was certain to shock whoever the blade was used on. She shrugged off thoughts of her beloved and found a pair of scissors. Immediately she cut off the largest part of her braid. With a piece of red ribbon, she tied off the top of the braided hair that was no longer a part of her and decided to keep it in the drawer. She unraveled her hair. It only reached down to her shoulders now and looked incredibly boring. 'Just because I'm in mourning doesn't mean I should look this drab, now should it?' she thought and started randomly snipping off little locks of hair, creating many layers that framed her face. Some strands of hair stood on end and made her new haircut look rather wild. Maybe even a bit crazy, but she thought it befitting of her current mental state. She looked down on her blood-soaked arms and knew that the act of shedding her own blood to relieve the pain in her heart meant she was teetering on the edge of insanity. But she also knew that was the only way she could cope and function like a normal human being. Thoroughly she cleaned and bandaged her wounded arms and picked out long sleeved garments to wear. Then she left her room to tend to her duties.

Her companions were glad to see her leave her room. They extended their sympathy at her loss and complimented her for being so brave. Knowing her vanity, Shandra and Neeshka had found it strange the captain had cut off her hair, her pride and joy, but understood when she explained it as a sign of mourning. Although the captain smiled and responded in a normal way, something about her had changed. Her comrades all knew something about their leader was off, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it. As life went on and she acted as she did before, their worry gradually faded and eventually completely disappeared. Chrysanthemum never spoke of Bevil since.


	3. Reunion

In the weeks that followed the destruction of West Harbor, Chrysanthemum kept her emotions under perfect control. When she found her memories of her beloved became too much to bear, she'd blink away the tears that threatened to flow from her eyes and take deep breaths until the emotions faded a little. As soon as she had some time to herself, she'd lock herself in her room and cut, cut, cut the pain away. She took care never to shed too much blood. The dizziness that clouded her mind after some blood loss felt good to her, pushed back her once so sweet memories. If ever she became too enthusiastic and cut herself too deep or too much, she used healing spells to keep the damage in check. Fainting and someone finding out what she did to herself when she was alone, was definitely not something she wanted to happen. Nobody needed to know the captain of Crossroad Keep had lost her mind.

When Shandra died, the cutting increased. She had provided the others with access to Ammon Jerro's Haven so they could find out more about the silver shards. Shandra had gotten separated from the party and was eventually killed. Killed by her own great-grandfather no less, as a punishment for releasing all the fiends in his service. The sad part was that he would never have done so if he had but known she was his last remaining relative.

Chrysanthemum had truly cared about this girl, quite unlike the way she felt about some of her other companions. Shandra had always followed her around, asking questions about battle, about some of the creatures they'd encountered, what the best way was to wash your hair and so on. And now she was dead. It seemed that death was all around her, Chrysanthemum thought, and wondered if she was to blame for that. But eventually such thoughts were all erased by the blood she shed.

Eventually, Chrysanthemum was even knighted. Still she only went through the motions automatically. That she had bent her knee before Lord Nasher and accepted the honor of becoming a knight of Neverwinter and yes, she would be greatly honored to join the Neverwinter Nine, had failed to truly register in her mind. She was now one of the personal bodyguards of Nasher and a commander of the Greycloaks. A great honor indeed, but Chrysanthemum hardly cared.

When she returned to the Keep, the bright yellow knight's cloak on her back, her companions rushed to congratulate her on her new title. She thanked them and spent some time talking to her comrades about the knighting ceremony, but shortly thereafter she excused herself and locked herself in her room.

She kicked off her boots and removed her armor. Sitting on her bed, she thought of how proud Bevil would've been of her. Military matters had been one of his main interests. The point of her blade rested on her skin, ready to make a fresh cut, when all of a sudden there was a knock on the door. Quickly the now knight-captain hid the dagger and answered the door. It was Neeshka.

"There's someone here to see you!" She was clearly very pleased with herself, as her tail was whipping about like an overexcited dog's.

"You certainly look happy," Chrysanthemum said and smiled at her. "What's up, did the 'cloaks return with the dragon's hoard or something?"

Neeshka laughed and clapped her hands in delight. "No no! Something much, much better! Well, for you anyway. Go on in," she said, turning to someone else who was apparently with her. Suddenly a big bunch of flowers was pushed into Chrysanthemum's face.

"Congratulations on your knighthood, Chrys! I mean, captain," said a familiar voice. She gasped and slowly lowered the flowers. Her heart nearly stopped when she looked up into a pair of blue eyes she knew very well. When the rest of Bevil's happy-looking face came into view, her eyes rolled back into her head and she blacked out. 'Impossible,' she thought before her knees buckled and she fell down. He caught her just before she hit the floor.


	4. Love and Terrible News

"Wow, is she gonna be okay?" Neeshka asked. Bevil nodded.

"Sure. I knew I would be surprising her, but I didn't expect this. Don't worry, I have it covered," he assured the startled tiefling.

"Okay then. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." She patted him on the shoulder. "Good to meet you, Devil."

He rolled his eyes. "For the hundredth time, it's Bevil!" His voice sounded slightly annoyed and Neeshka giggled.

"I know. It just looks so funny when you roll your eyes like that!" Still giggling, she left and closed the door behind her, after snatching the flowers from the floor. The flowers were seen no more.

A few moments later, Chrysanthemum came to and slowly opened her eyes. 'I must be dreaming,' she thought when she found she was in her lover's arms and he was looking at her with worry in his eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked. She blinked and raised her arm, then bit hard into her hand. She swore loudly when she felt the pain.

"What did you do that for?" He grasped her hand and gently placed a kiss on the spot she'd bitten.

"I – I…" she stammered. The darkness that usually clouded her mind gradually lifted as she stared into his eyes. They were filled with love and concern, all for her. She sniffled.

"I thought you were dead," she sobbed and burst into tears. He held her close and stroked her hair.

"It's alright, I'm here," he said in a soothing voice. He placed his hand under her chin and raised her face. Gently he wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed her soft lips. Eagerly she kissed him back, uttering a content sigh when his tongue slipped into her mouth and started playing with hers. The hand that had rested on her hip crept up her side, caressing her until it found her breast. When he squeezed it, she moaned softly and he could feel her nipple harden against his hand. His thumb and forefinger seized it and stroked it through the fabric of her shirt. He quickly picked her up and laid her down on her bed, then joined her. His lips moved to her neck and he mumbled: "I missed you so much."

His hands grabbed the neckline of her shirt and he ripped it open, right down the middle. Her breasts were now fully exposed and he eagerly seized both of them, massaging and squeezing while tweaking at her nipples. She moaned under his touch and started moaning even louder when his lips moved down her neck, her chest, and closed around one of her nipples. He sucked on it and let his tongue twirl little circles around it, while still massaging both of her breasts. One of his hands abandoned her breast and sneaked down her bare stomach. He fumbled with the laces that held her trousers closed in the front, but eventually just tore them open and quickly peeled her trousers off her, removing her knickers in the process. She now lay under him almost completely naked and his eyes drank in the sight of her curvaceous body, wearing nothing more than the remains of her torn shirt. Her chest heaved and she wrapped her arms, which had previously lain next to her passively, around him. She was now convinced she wasn't dreaming and tugged at his shirt, trying to take it off. He smiled at her eagerness and sat up on his knees. Slowly he took off his shirt, revealing his lean and muscular upper body. She sighed and ran her hands down his torso.

"You look even better than I remember. I missed you too," she said seductively and beckoned him to come nearer. Their lips met once again and she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him even closer to her. She pushed him over and rolled on top of him. Now it was her turn to explore his body. Playfully she bit into his earlobe and ran her tongue down his neck. Her hands stroked his entire torso and her lips and tongue soon followed. He moaned, feeling as if her hands and mouth were everywhere at the same time. Pleasure surged through his body when she licked his nipples and rubbed his hard penis through the fabric of his trousers. She slowly peeled his trousers off his hips. The tip of his erection became exposed and she licked it, then sucked it into her mouth while completely removing his trousers and throwing the garment across the room. She gripped his member at the base and let it slip into her mouth as far as she could. He moaned loudly.

"I want to taste you," he panted. "Come here."

When she moved to lie down for him, he shook his head and directed her to face away from him and straddle his shoulders. She continued to play with his member and he grabbed her by the buttocks, pulling her closer to his face. Her lips were already glistening with her freely flowing juices. She moaned when his tongue touched her there.

"How very clever of you," she sighed and placed a row of kisses down the shaft of his penis before sucking on one of his testicles. Her hand rubbed his foreskin over the tip. With his tongue out of his mouth he just sat there, enjoying the treatment the girl was giving him. But he shook his head and snapped out of it. 'Don't get distracted,' he thought to himself and his tongue dove between her wet lips, licking away the juices. Chrysanthemum, who had just sucked both of his testicles into her mouth, released them and moaned loudly. Her hand became stationary, only stroking his member occasionally. She snapped out of it, thinking: 'No, don't get distracted,' and went on pleasuring him. She sucked his erection into her mouth as far as she could, then let it slip out halfway while one of her hands rubbed the shaft and the other one gently massaged his testicles.

Bevil's tongue glided down from between her labia and gently tapped her clitoris. She gasped and moaned, the sound muffled because she had his penis in her mouth. Carefully he inserted his middle finger into her moist opening and moved it in and out of her. His tongue traced little circles around her clitoris. Her mouth moved up and down his erect member, her tongue circling around the tip. The waves of pleasure flowing through their bodies gradually increased, becoming more and more intense. Bevil was the first to announce his orgasm and made groaning noises when he ejaculated into her mouth, but continued to lick and finger her. As Chrysanthemum was swallowing every little drop of semen that squirted into her mouth, she felt her own climax coming on. She moaned and her lower body writhed in pleasure, letting him know she was coming. He increased the speed of his movements and gradually slowed down when her writhing did the same. They both uttered a satisfied sigh and she rolled off him after licking his penis clean. She lay down next to him on her stomach and rested her head on his chest, staring up at him adoringly.

"Being with you is always such a treat," she purred. He ruffled her hair.

"I like your new hair. It's cute," he complimented her. She giggled.

"Really? Thank you." She moved closer to him, taking off her tattered shirt, and they kissed. Her hand crept down his stomach and was greeted by his member. It had almost grown back to its full size again.

"It's amazing how you can get it hard so quickly," she marveled and firmly grabbed hold of it.

"That's not very difficult when you're around," he muttered and moaned when she stroked him until his penis had reached maximum hardness.

"I want you inside me. Please make love to me," she begged, whispering her pleas into his ear. When she moved to straddle him, he stopped her.

"I have an idea. Why don't we try something a little different?" He helped her up.

"Get on all fours," he commanded.

"This reminds me of that time we were little and ran around with your dogs, pretending to be one of them," she reminisced and laughed at the memory. "They seemed to be mocking us."

Bevil got close behind her and placed the tip of his erection against her vagina. Rubbing it between her wet lips, he teased her: "So you want this?"

She looked back at him, her features contorted by desire. "Yes, please put it in," she begged.

He slowly entered her, feeling her moist vagina pulsate around his member. When his hips rested against her rear end, he stopped. She arched her back, making it hollow.

"Don't stop. Give me more," she implored him and thrust back her hips, pushing him deeper into her.

"As my captain commands," he replied and commenced moving his erection in and out of her, his hands resting on her hips. She moaned loudly.

"Oh my," she breathed, "you're so _big_!" He bent his upper body over hers and seized her breasts, massaging them and rolling her hard nipples between his fingers, while still thrusting into her. His lips kissed the back of her neck and he looked at the tattoo she sported on her right shoulder blade. It filled him with a feeling of pride, knowing she got her skin inked in his honor. Then he noticed the starling wasn't alone anymore. As if to smell it, the bird was sticking its beak into a flower. That flower was a chrysanthemum.

He laughed. "I notice a change to your tattoo," he said.

"Yeah, I had a chrysanthemum added. Like it?" she panted, looking back at him with hungry eyes.

"Heh, it's kind of naughty. I love it!" he shouted and slapped her on the rear. "And it's so fitting as well. I love sticking things into you," he whispered into her ear.

"I'm glad you enjoy me so much," she moaned and urged him to thrust into her harder. He complied with her wishes and pumped his erection into her with more force. She was so wet he could feel a small trickle of her juices flowing down his leg. By now the girl's moans were so loud she was practically screaming. A stream of incoherent babbling flowed from her lips, consisting of praises to the Gods, comments of how good he felt inside her and repeated shouting of his name, laced with the occasional "Oh yes!" or "Harder!" Her entire body was coated in a shiny layer of sweat.

He grinned proudly at the pleasure he was obviously giving her and decided to please her some more. He licked the fingers of his right hand and reached around her hip. His fingers searched for her clitoris and quickly found it. She gasped for air when he commenced tracing small circles around the little button. Her body convulsed as she loudly declared her orgasm was on its way and he pumped his member into her even harder, giving it all he had. Sweat poured down his face.

A long-drawn shout escaped her lips as she was overwhelmed by the flood of pleasure coursing through her entire body. Her arms started shaking and collapsed, landing her head on the bed. The muscles of her vagina strongly contracted and pulsated around his penis, bringing on the familiar throbbing. With one last powerful thrust he pulled out of her and laid his violently throbbing member between her buttocks. Loudly grunting, he ejaculated onto the small of her back. The squirts ejected with force, splattering on her skin. Breathing heavily, Chrysanthemum grabbed her shirt and wiped the semen off her back. "Hmm, I'm never gonna wash this again," she muttered. She exhaled a long, content breath and lay down. Bevil soon joined her.

"That was… I don't even know any words to describe how good that was," she sighed, propping herself up on one elbow and gazing into his eyes. He grinned and folded his hands on the back of his neck, leaning against the pillows.

"Yes, it was amazing indeed." Looking at her face, the arm that supported her head struck him as odd. When he looked more closely at the inside of her forearm, his eyes were greeted by a jumble of scars and jagged cuts, some new, some half healed. He gently touched her.

"How'd you get all of these?" he asked curiously, running his finger across that very first cut she'd made, now a scar. She showed him a sad smile.

"Please don't be angry," she said softly.

"Why would I be angry?"

"I did this to myself," she admitted in shame. That greatly shocked him and he pulled her closer.

"But why would you want to do that?" he inquired and gently stroked her face. She sighed.

"I thought you were dead. And I couldn't cope with that. So, I tried to relieve my heartache by inflicting physical pain upon myself," she explained, realizing it sounded like madness. "I didn't want to live really, but I have my duty to fulfill. Without cutting myself, all I would've done these past few weeks is lie in my bed and wail all day. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize for that," he said softly and smiled at her. "We all cope with grief in our own way, although yours is kind of… extreme. I understand though, you're under a lot of pressure, what with being our last hope against the King of Shadows and all. Now, you have to promise me you'll never hurt yourself like this again. No matter what. Promise?" His expression was now serious.

She nodded. "I promise. Even if everyone around me dies, I'll not cut myself," she vowed.

He looked relieved, certain she would keep her promise. "But why did you think I was dead?"

"So you don't know," she said, not entirely surprised. He had struck her as a bit too cheery for someone who'd lost his entire family and virtually everyone he knew.

"Don't know what?" he asked, his expression darkening.

She cleared her throat. "Well. I was in West Harbor a while ago, and…" She fell silent, uncertain of how to continue.

"What, was there another attack?" he asked, looking at her with big eyes.

"Well, whatever it was… They're all gone, Bevil. I'm sorry. Everyone is dead." She bit her lip and tears ran down her cheeks. "I thought you were among them, couldn't even bear to look."

He said nothing, sat there stunned. "My mother too, and the little ones?"

She nodded and laid her hand on his shoulder. "I'm _so_ sorry about your family." There wasn't anything else she could say, so she just hugged him. Resting his head against her chest, he said: "I remember how my mother cried when I left. She was so sure she'd never see me again." A tear rolled down his cheek. "And I told her, 'Mom, I'll be fine. I'll be with Chrysanthemum, I promise I'll be fine.' And I was right… but so was she," he sighed.

"I'm so happy you're still alive," she sobbed. "Since when have you been here?"

"Couple days. I wanted to see you, but you were out on some mission." He shook his head. "I just can't believe they're all dead."

"I understand. It took a while to sink in for me too." They held on to one another tightly. "I nearly went mad without you. Hells, I actually _did_ go mad." Chrysanthemum thought of all the times she'd locked herself in and let the blood flow from dozens of gashes in her skin. It all seemed pointless now.

Bevil suddenly yawned. "I'm tired," he said in a sleepy voice. "Can I sleep here with you tonight?"

"Of course, my sweet. Stay for as long as you like. How's forever sound?" Chrysanthemum joked.

"Sounds great," he mumbled. "G'night." Still with his head on her chest, he cuddled up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He fell asleep very quickly, his breathing slow and steady. 'Poor thing's been through so much,' Chrysanthemum thought, her mood saddened. To make sure he didn't wake up, she grabbed the sheets with her toes and brought them within arm's reach. After covering Bevil and herself, she closed her eyes. Very soon she was asleep as well.


	5. Dealing with Pain, pt 2

Chrysanthemum awoke because her entire bed was shaking. A bit drowsy she lit the candle she kept on her nightstand. The reason for her bed shaking like that was evident. Bevil had buried his face in the pillows and was sobbing uncontrollably. His entire body was shaking, and the bed was shaking along with him. Tentatively she laid her hand on his shoulder. He turned to face her.

"They're all dead," he sobbed. His eyes were bloodshot and swollen.

"I know honey, I know," she spoke in a comforting voice. "I'm really sorry." She held out her arms to him and he bolted into her embrace. Gently she stroked his hair while he clutched her so tightly she could hardly breathe. Suddenly he loosened his grip and kissed her, pressing his lips on hers hard. She could taste the tears and the sadness in his kisses.

"Chrysanthemum," he said, staring at her with a feverish look in his eyes. "You're all I have left now," he muttered and pushed her down on the bed. "I have to be as close to you as I can be." His voice sounded as if he were in some sort of trance. He spread her legs and positioned himself between them.

"What are you…" Before she could finish her sentence, he'd already entered her without any warning. She gasped for air, hurt because she hadn't been quite wet enough. He rapidly pumped his member in and out of her, thrusting hard. She moaned in pain. After mere minutes she felt him throbbing inside her and he pulled out, emptying his semen out onto her stomach. Then he turned his back to her and pulled the covers over his head. When she laid her hand on his shoulder, he shrugged it off and uttered a growling noise. Feeling abused, Chrysanthemum turned her back to him. But she knew he only acted this way because he was in shock. She was no stranger to odd behavior, so she just resigned herself to it and doused the candle's flame. Then she closed her eyes to go back to sleep, but this time sleep would not come to take her and she stayed awake all night, worrying about her beloved.

In the weeks that followed, Bevil did nothing but lie in the captain's bed and sleep. He refused to speak and ate only a little. The only activity he engaged in, was when he sometimes suddenly grabbed Chrysanthemum and threw her down on the bed. He would then have his way with her, after which he practically threw her out of bed. Despite this treatment, she stayed by his side as much as she could. He had said it so well, that everyone deals with grief in their own way. She understood this was his way and knew that he needed her, no matter how he might treat her. From time to time, she needed to leave the Keep on a mission. Still, she never left him by himself for longer than a few hours.

But one day she had no choice but to leave him for a long time. If they wanted to defeat the King of Shadows, they'd have to reform the sword she had so many silver shards of. Apparently there was a crystal dragon spirit, deep in the Sword Mountains, who knew where the Sword of Gith could be made whole again. The journey would take them many days, and who knew how many more to convince the dragon to help them. Reluctant, but realizing there was no other way, Chrysanthemum prepared to leave. She went to say her goodbyes to Bevil, explaining she would be gone for a long time. He just nodded, not even looking directly at her, and hid himself under the sheets of her bed again. Glad he at least showed some response, she faced the long journey ahead.

Tired and injured the party returned to the Keep. Chrysanthemum estimated the time she was gone to be about thirteen days. They had done a lot of climbing in the mountains, eventually arriving at a valley where there was lush plant growth despite the barrenness of the mountains. Nolaloth, the crystal dragon spirit, had been the cause of this. In the middle of the valley was a giant crystal heart, _his_ heart. It had been easy enough to convince him to help them. Just mentioning the word 'shadows' got him talking. The Illefarn people had kept him between life and death, promised to find a way to restore his life to him. He had been waiting for centuries for them to fulfill their promise, slowly going mad. In return for his help, he had only wished one thing: peace. The Illefarn were long dead and would never return the dragon to life. All he wanted was to die. Chrysanthemum thought he deserved to be released from his suffering and agreed. When the party got ready to smash the crystal heart, two black dragons appeared. That was when things got tough. Dragons were attracted to the power of the crystal heart and they refused to let them destroy it. And so they had to kill the two dragons. It was a difficult fight. Qara had been severely swiped by the claws of one of the dragons and nearly died. Chrysanthemum saved her just in time, preserving the sorceress´ life with the most powerful healing spell she knew. Immediately after that, Qara acted out her anger on the dragon that had hurt her so badly and reduced it to ashes on the spot. The other dragon turned to run when it saw its companion die like that, but it wasn´t quick enough and got torched by the angry sorceress as well. After that, it was easy enough to destroy the crystal heart. Finally they were able to return to the Keep.


	6. The Question

Chrysanthemum was eager to check up on Bevil. She prayed he hadn´t hurt himself while she was away, or assaulted someone else. They might not be as understanding as she was. When she found her room empty, the bed made up with clean white sheets, she feared for the worst and went looking for him. Eventually she found him in the Phoenix Tail Inn, speaking with Khelgar and Neeshka as if nothing had ever happened to him. He had lost some weight, but looked fine otherwise. Neeshka was the first to notice her arrival and happily waved.

"Chrysanthemum!" she shouted. "How'd it go? Did you bring me anything?" Holding out her hand, she eyed the captain expectantly.

"Neeshka, you're shameless! Especially for one raised by priests. But yes," Chrysanthemum replied and dropped a small pouch into the girl's hand, "I did bring you something."

Eagerly the tiefling ripped open the pouch and took out a shiny gemstone. She gasped. "Thanks Chrysanthemum, you're the best boss ever!" After giving her companion a quick hug, she sat at the nearest table and spilled all the gemstones onto the tabletop. Then she took a magnifying glass from her pocket and closely inspected all of them, estimating their value. From time to time she would click her tongue or nod approvingly.

"So lass," Khelgar said, "how did everything go? Run into any trouble?"

Chrysanthemum rolled her eyes. "You have no idea. We had to kill two bloody dragons. TWO! At the same time! But as always Qara went crazy and utterly destroyed them. We have the location now."

The dwarven monk nodded. "Good, good. Too bad I wasn't there to help. Not sure if always bringin' that insane mage is a good idea. But let's talk about that later, yeah?" He took his leave of them and joined Neeshka, who immediately started showing him the sparkling gems.

Bevil obviously had some trouble looking into her eyes. He blushed and cleared his throat. When he looked directly at her, she saw shame and guilt in his eyes.

"I uhm, joined the Greycloaks," he said in a shaky voice. She smiled.

"Very good. We could use someone with your militia experience." That reminded her of the gift she'd wanted to give him. "Follow me," she commanded him and guided him to her bedroom. She took the silk-wrapped package from the drawer and presented it to him.

"I wanted to give this to you earlier, but it didn't seem like a good idea at the time," she spoke, showing him a warm smile. He smiled back at her, albeit somewhat hesitantly.

"Come on, open it," she urged him. He unwrapped his gift, curious to see what it was. The gleaming blade crackled with energy, illuminating the room with a bright glow. He dropped the silk cloth on the floor and firmly gripped the hilt with one hand. It felt as if it had been made especially for him. He stared at the sword in awe.

"Wow… I don't know what to say. Thank you," he said to Chrysanthemum and swallowed. Tears were shining in his eyes.

"Hey now, no need to get all emotional," she said and patted him on the shoulder. One tear escaped his eye and after that, the floodgates opened. Tears streamed down his face and she carefully took the weapon from him, placing it on top of her dresser-table. She embraced him and he laid his head on the cold metal of her armor, his tears raining down on it. "I'm… so… sorry, Chrys," he hiccupped. She released him.

"Wait. Let me take this off before I get all rusty," she said, quickly stripping off her armor. It hit the floor with a loud clang. When she stretched out her arms to him, he picked her up and hugged her as if she were a doll. His weeping subsided, and his sobbing breaths slowly returned to normal.

Still sniffling a little, he said: "I'm so sorry about the way I've been treating you lately." He lifted her higher into the air and looked her in the eyes. "You don't deserve that. I'm really, really sorry."

She smiled at him a bit awkwardly. "Could you put me down? I can almost see my house from up here." With her feet on solid ground, she reached up and cradled his face in her hands.

"Please don't say you're sorry," she spoke softly, fondly caressing his cheek. "It's just like you said. We all deal with our sorrow in our own way. I'm just glad you seem to be feeling better. You know I'd do anything for you." She placed her lips on his in a single tender kiss. "You're all I have left too, you know."

"When you left for the mountains, I was here all alone, feeling sorry for myself." He sighed. "I was mad at you for not being here, because I wanted to… you know," he said, his voice sounding guilty. "Then at some point, Neeshka burst through the door and started rummaging through your closet. Suddenly she looked at me. You know how she usually sounds all cheerful and happy, but when she talked to me, she sounded _angry_. Pretty much cursed me out for feeling sorry for myself and acting like a fool. You've lost loved ones as well, but you've always stayed strong. 'The captain always looks out for us, always puts others first,' she said. 'Her troubles never got in the way of what she had to do. So why are you acting like such a big baby?' And then, it dawned on me. She was right, I was acting like a big baby. Treating you like dirt, like a _thing_…" His voice faltered. "I hope you can forgive me for everything I've done to you."

Chrysanthemum pulled him close to her, pressing her head against his chest. "Of course I forgive you. I would've endured much, much worse if you needed me to." Looking up at him with her eyes filled with love and affection, she said: "I love you more than anything. With you at my side, there's nothing I can't handle."

He leaned down and kissed her gently. "I love you too. More than you can imagine. You give me strength." They held each other tightly. All of a sudden, Chrysanthemum commenced taking off Bevil's shirt leisurely, without saying a word. He followed her example and they lovingly undressed one another. Then she guided him to her bed. Their mouths joined and they simply reveled in each other's presence, kissing, caressing and touching for what seemed like hours. And when he finally entered her, he did so with the same care and love he'd always shown her. Their fingers intertwined as he slowly moved in and out, gently making love to her. She had wrapped her legs around him, uttering a satisfied sigh with every thrust. Only after a long time did he feel his orgasm coming on, announcing itself through the familiar throbbing in his member.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I think I'm about to come."

"Why are you apologizing? When it happens, it happens," she said.

"I just don't want this to end…" he moaned.

When his orgasm rushed through his body, his features contorted into an expression of intense pleasure and he moaned softly as he ejaculated onto her stomach. She watched with great interest through her half-closed eyes.

"I just love watching that," she said, stirring into the semen on her stomach and sticking her finger into her mouth. "I love watching_ you_."

He blushed. "Really?"

"Never in all my travels have I met a more handsome man than you, my love," she vowed solemnly. His entire face went red. "Uhm, thanks… And thank you for staying by my side all this time. Really."

He lay down next to her and took her into his arms. "You know, before I left West Harbor, I told my mom. About us, I mean," he added.

"Really? How did she react?" she inquired curiously.

"Heh, you won't believe this. She just smiled and asked why it had taken me so damn long to tell her. Then she rattled off some speech about how I was now a man and that she'd welcome you into our family and all that. In short, she gave us her blessing. And she also gave me…" He looked on the floor, searching for his trousers. She handed them to him and he took a small silk pouch from the pocket. His fingers nimbly opened the knots that held it closed and spilled the content onto the palm of his hand.

"This," he said triumphantly. It was an elegant lady's ring, consisting of three narrow silver bands braided together. In the middle was a large ruby, shaped like a heart.

"It's the wedding ring my dad gave her. And now I'm going to give it to you, that is if… Wait, let me do this right." He got up from the bed, gesturing for her to sit up. Stunned, she followed his instructions. She had more than a vague inkling of what he was about to do. Still naked, he kneeled before her on one knee and took her hand.

"Pfff, this is pretty difficult," he huffed. "Well, here goes." His cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and anticipation, he cleared his throat and asked her: "Chrysanthemum Farlong, will you marry me?"

In response, she gasped with joy and nodded her head vehemently.

"Yes!" she shouted. He exhaled, relieved she'd accepted and slipped the ring around her finger. It fit perfectly, just like the other ring he'd given her. She squealed in delight and dove towards him with her arms outstretched. She knocked him over and they landed on the floor, both laughing.

"If I got any happier, I think my heart would explode," she sighed with a wide smile on her face.

"Same here," he said, an equally wide smile plastered to his face.

Chrysanthemum held out her hand and looked closely at the new ring. "It's so beautiful," she admired it.

"It pales in comparison to your beauty," Bevil blurted out. She looked at him in surprise.

"Can't believe I just said that!" he said, and blushed.

"You're so adorable," the girl cooed and showered him with kisses.

After a while, she released him and got up. "Let's get dressed. We have some business to take care of."


	7. Torio and Neeshka to the Rescue

In the courtyard of Crossroad Keep there was a church, run by Ivarr the Blessed. They went there now, to discuss any possibility of a wedding ceremony. When the question was posed to him, Ivarr clapped his hands in delight.

"Magnificent! In these dark days, we need happy events to bring light and strength to the community. I can get the church ready for you any day you want, captain," the dwarven cleric assured her.

"So how long do you think we'll need?" Bevil asked her.

"I don't know. Not too long, pretty much everything we need is right here."

After some debate, they decided to take five days to get ready. Chrysanthemum's first stop was Deekin's shop, to buy Bevil a ring. The kobold merchant greeted her enthusiastically when she entered his shop.

"Hello captain! What can Deekin do for you today?" He bowed before her.

"Hi Deekin. I'm looking for a wedding ring," she explained.

"Deekin very sorry captain, but Deekin have no wedding rings. Only magic ones. Care to see?" He took a display filled with all kinds of rings from his counter and presented it to her.

"Captain getting married?" Deekin asked curiously.

"Yes, in five days. You're welcome to come, if you like. It's in the church here." Chrysanthemum inspected all the rings and one of them caught her eye. It was a gold ring, a large green emerald in the middle and three small rubies set on each side of it.

"Can you tell me more of this ring, Deekin?" she asked, taking the ring from the display.

"That used to be Nasher's ring. Hero of Neverwinter give it to Deekin, say sell it. Hero very, very mad at Nasher!" the kobold explained.

"I see. What does it do exactly?"

"It make wearer stronger. Always good thing, Deekin thinking."

Chrysanthemum remembered the time she and Bevil ventured into the swamp, looking for the first shard. He had told her how he always wanted to be an adventurer, like Lord Nasher once was. She was sure he'd love this ring. And additional strength was never a bad thing, like Deekin said. So she paid the gold Deekin wanted for the ring.

"Bye captain! Deekin come to your wedding, hooray!" he cheered.

The captain pondered how she should get a wedding dress. These were times of war and it wasn't very likely many tailors were active at the moment. And she couldn't sew to save her life. Maybe five days wasn't quite enough time for wedding preparations. Then she remembered how Torio, the former ambassador of Luskan, wore a dress she couldn't possible have bought ready-made. Perhaps she knew of a good tailor.

As always she found Torio in the main hall. The woman never had a whole lot to do, so she usually just sat around, reading books from the library or helping the wizard Sand with his experiments. Chrysanthemum had allowed her to stay in the Keep, because she would've been executed otherwise. She just thought the grey-eyed woman didn't deserve this. After all, the little seer Marcus had told her she was nothing but afraid of Garius. This time Torio was engrossed in reading a book about the Neverwinter Wood. She tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey Torio, can I ask you something?"

The former ambassador stood up from her chair and made a mocking curtsy.

"What can your humble servant do for you this time, captain?" she asked, her voice sounding as cynical as always.

"Who made that dress for you?" Chrysanthemum asked, pointing at the other's unusual garment.

Torio raised an eyebrow. "I made it myself. Why do you ask?"

"I'm getting married in five days and I need a dress. I was hoping you knew a good tailor," the captain said hopefully.

"Why, I would love to make you a dress myself. Finally something to keep me occupied! I must've read every book here at least twice. Come with me, I have a bunch of supplies… Did you say five days? Not a moment to lose. Come, come," she said resolutely, pushing the captain in the right direction by the shoulders.

Meanwhile, Bevil was a bit lost. 'Five days, she must be crazy,' he thought. He already had a ring; all he needed was some fancy clothing. But where was he supposed to get that? He scratched his head and thought hard. Neeshka saw he was lost in thought and quietly snuck up on him. She jumped onto his back and nearly knocked him over.

"Heeyyy, Devil!" she yelled in his ear. "What's the matter with you?"

He opened his mouth to correct her, but thought better of it. "I need clothes," he simply said.

"What for? You're already wearing some," she giggled.

"Chrysanthemum and I are getting married in five days. I need to look my best," he explained.

Neeshka gasped. "A wedding! Wow, this is so exciting… You know, come to think of it, I might have some clothes you could use."

Bevil eyed her suspiciously. "It's not a dress, is it?"

"Of course not, dummy. Well, I still have some of the stuff I stole from Leldon. He'd just had this fancy schmancy outfit made. He hasn't even had the chance to wear it yet. Come on, I'll show you!" she said and guided him to her room in the inn. From a large strongbox in the corner, she took a shirt and a pair of trousers and laid them out on the bed. The shirt was made out of royal blue silk, the back and collar embroidered with a delicate design of vines in silver. The trousers were made from the finest, softest leather.

"I was actually gonna sell them, but something kept me from it. Must've been fate or something, huh? Come on, try them on," she urged him and turned around.

"No peeking!" he warned her and removed his shirt. When his back was turned to her, Neeshka quickly snuck a peek. 'Not bad,' she thought while she looked at his bare back.

He slipped the shirt on over his head and it fit perfectly. Before he took off his trousers, he made sure the tiefling wasn't looking and quickly changed into the other pair. They were a bit snug, but fit fine otherwise.

"Can I look now?" Neeshka asked. He nodded, but realized she couldn't see that.

"You can turn around now."

The girl turned to him and cocked her head to one side, staring at him intently.

"I feel a little silly wearing this," he said awkwardly.

"No no! You look great," Neeshka complimented him. "But those ragged old boots won't do for the wedding I think."

She immediately dove into the strongbox again and came out with a pair of shiny leather boots. "There, I hope they're your size," she said, setting the boots down in front of them.

He kicked off his old boots and put on the new ones. They fit perfectly as well.

"What a coincidence," Neeshka said. "Uncanny. Exactly the same size as that creep Leldon."

"Did you steal all of this?" he asked her, slightly worried the original owner might come after him.

"Yeah. It's a long story, but he got what he deserved. And don't worry. He's dead, so he won't come to take his stuff back."

He shook his head. It would be best not to ask. "What do you want in return for this?"

Neeshka smiled. "Just your word. You have to take good care of our captain. You know, she was the first person who was ever kind to me. So promise me you'll treat her like a lady, just like she deserves. Okay?"

He nodded, touched because Neeshka was so fond of Chrysanthemum. "I promise. I'll treat her like a princess for as long as I live."

She slapped him on the shoulder. "Great! That's settled then. You better put on your old gear and hide that outfit." She exited the room. "A wedding! Khelgar, guess what?" she called out.


	8. Nice Day for a Wedding

_Slight change to this chapter. Credit goes to Aeltari, whose idea I stole. See it as a kind of tribute ;).  
_

Five days later, everything was ready for the wedding ceremony. All of the Keep's residents were invited, as well as the villagers who lived on the surrounding lands. Chrysanthemum had hired several cooks to prepare the feast they would enjoy afterwards and the interior of the church had been decorated. It had been hard work, but Torio had been able to finish the wedding dress in time.

Chrysanthemum felt her heart pounding in her chest. She'd never been this nervous in her entire life. Slaying dragons, defeating shadow reavers and whatnot was all fine and exciting, but it paled in comparison to tying the knot with the love of your life. Still, she had no doubts, no cold feet. She'd never been surer of anything in her life.

Bevil couldn't be happier. Humming a tune to himself, he got dressed into his wedding clothing and inspected himself in the tall mirror in a side room of the church. He was slightly nervous, afraid he might stumble when reciting the wedding vows, but he felt right. Today he would tie the knot with the love of his life. And when the war was over, they might have a whole bunch of kids and raise a big family. He was looking forward to that.

On her way to the church to inspect the decorations, Chrysanthemum was greeted by someone she knew all too well. Somehow, her foster father Daeghun had escaped whatever had happened to West Harbor. Completely contrary to the way they'd always treated each other, she ran up to him and hugged him tightly.

"I'm glad to see you're still alive!" she exclaimed. "I take it you've heard of West Harbor?"

Slightly taken aback by the sudden display of affection, he nodded. "Very tragic indeed. But I have come here because I need to speak with Elanee," Daeghun explained. Elanee was one of Chrysanthemum's comrades, an elven druid.

"Do you have news of her Circle?" the captain asked, remembering how the druids in the Mere of Dead Men had disappeared. Daeghun simply nodded in response.

"I'm afraid that will have to wait until after the wedding," Chrysanthemum said resolutely.

"A wedding in the middle of a war? Who is getting married?" her foster father asked incredulously.

"I am, actually. I know how it seems odd to get married in a time like this, but when this war is over, I might not even be here anymore. So I figure I might as well get some happiness in between all the fighting."

"I see," Daeghun responded, obviously not understanding. "And who is the lucky man?"

Chrysanthemum smiled. "Someone you know very well. I know you don't think very highly of him, but that's your loss. I'm marrying Bevil today."

Daeghun raised an eyebrow. "Bevil? I thought you would know better. But as they say, love is blind." He vaguely shook his head, his usually expressionless face looking utterly puzzled. "Then again, maybe there is some wisdom in settling down with someone you've known for a long time," he added.

"You're welcome to join the celebration if you like," Chrysanthemum invited him. "There's a feast after the ceremony. Maybe you'll have an opportunity to speak with Elanee then."

"We'll see," Daeghun said, and walked away. Chrysanthemum rolled her eyes.

'Still the same as ever,' she thought.

After inspecting the decorations in the church and finding them to her liking, she went to get ready. In another side room of the church, Neeshka and Qara helped her into her dress, while Zhjaeve pinned back her hair and Elanee had picked many beautiful flowers for a bouquet and a few chrysanthemums to adorn the bride's hairdo with. When Chrysanthemum was all dressed up and ready to go, she inspected herself in a tall mirror.

"I look good like this, right?" she nervously asked the other ladies.

"Good? You look fabulous!" Neeshka shouted, squealing in joy.

"Yes, as pretty as a picture," Zhjaeve agreed. Her diction had changed considerably since she had joined the group.

Elanee blinked away a tear. "It seems like only yesterday I watched you when you were a child, barking and running around like a dog. And look at you now," she sighed.

Qara eyed her dress with envy. "I'd get married just to wear one of those for a day."

"I'm glad you all approve," Chrysanthemum smiled. "Let's get going!" She opened the door slightly and peeked into the main hall of the church. The place was packed with people. Every Greycloak had shown up, all her companions, all the farmers in the area and even people she had never even seen before. She got more nervous when she noticed Lord Nasher and the Neverwinter Nine occupying the seats in the front row. Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she opened the door and stepped out, followed closely by Neeshka, Zhjaeve, Qara and Elanee. The din in the church abruptly died down and all guests seemed to collectively gasp in awe. Daeghun awaited her at the end of the aisle and offered her his arm.

"So you decided to show up, did you?" She smiled and took his arm.

"Isn't it a human custom for a father to give away the bride?" Daeghun asked, wondering if maybe he got it wrong.

"Yes, it is. Thank you, father. I really appreciate it." Slightly emotional, she sniffled. Daeghun patted her hand. "There there."

Slowly and gracefully Chrysanthemum and her foster father walked down the aisle. Bevil was already standing at the altar and turned to look at her. His jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw her. Her sky blue dress had a tight bodice without any sleeves, accentuating her voluptuous bosom and narrow waist, while the skirt was wide, long and puffy. Here and there, Torio had embroidered a white chrysanthemum onto the lustrous satin. The former ambassador stood between the guests and was filled with pride, seeing her creation done justice like that.

Chrysanthemum showed Bevil a dazzling smile. 'How handsome he looks,' she thought fondly, admiring his tall form. Soon Daeghun presented his daughter to Bevil. He patted the young man on the shoulder and muttered some wishes of luck, after which he chose a spot in the crowd. Ivarr commenced the ceremony. The words the priest spoke hardly registered in the happy couple's mind. All they did was gaze lovingly into one another's eyes. When the time came to recite their vows, they did so flawlessly and exchanged rings. After the "I do's", there was but one thing to do.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," Ivarr spoke. Chrysanthemum and Bevil wrapped their arms around each other, and they kissed. The crowd raised the roof by cheering, yelling, clapping, whistling and throwing their hats in the air. Even Lord Nasher got ready to throw up his crown, but Sir Nevalle stopped him. Slightly pouting, Nasher put it back on. Deekin and Grobnar took out their lutes and played a cheerful duet as the pair made their way down the aisle, the guests showering them with seeds and grains of wheat.

The feast was in the main hall of the Keep, many luxurious dishes laid out on the many tables that were set up. Bards, jesters and jugglers showed off their tricks while the guests dined on the lavish banquet. The happy couple danced with their bodies closely together, sending enamored looks one another's way.

"So what do you think of the ring I got you?" she asked him.

"I like it. It makes me feel stronger for some reason," he answered.

"Well you know, it used to be Lord Nasher's. He gifted it to the Hero of Neverwinter, but it came into Deekin's possession after the relationship between the Hero and Nasher went sour. And it does make the wearer stronger," she said, smiling at him.

"Oh, I thought I just felt stronger because you're _really_ mine now. I do like it a lot, thank you. You look ravishing in that dress, by the way. But you know," he whispered into her ear, "I think you might look even more ravishing without it."

She giggled and had to admit she felt a little aroused herself. "You know what I feel like doing right now?" she whispered after giving him a quick kiss down the side of his neck.

"What's that?" he asked, feeling his member becoming hard.

"I want to rip those clothes off of you and have my way with you, right here and now," she spoke softly, her warm breath tickling his ear.

"Sounds like a good idea, my lady," he chuckled, "but maybe we should just retire for the night and realize your plans in our bedroom."

When she moved to announce their departure, he pulled her closer to him. "Wait a while. You know, for physical reasons," he grinned. Feeling his erection against her stomach she giggled.

"Everyone!" Chrysanthemum called out after a while. She picked up a glass from the table and tapped it with a spoon to attract the guests' attention. When they didn't quite hear her, she tapped it harder and harder until eventually it shattered. The din ceased and all looked in her direction.

"Good. Now that I have your attention, it's nearly time for us to retire for the night. But first, the event all you ladies have been waiting for. Who will catch my bouquet?" she shouted, holding the artful composition of flowers in the air. All women who were present cheered and got ready to elbow one another and fight over the bouquet. Only Qara, Zhjaeve and Elanee sat at a table and continued eating and drinking.

"I know nothing of this human ritual," Zhjaeve said, pondering what the meaning of it might be.

"I just don't care," Qara shrugged.

"Neither do I. It's a strange human custom," Elanee spoke, chewing on a vegetable. "Apparently the woman who catches it, will be the first in line to get married."

Chrysanthemum turned her back to the excited women and threw her bouquet as hard as she could. The event nearly turned the room into a battlefield as the ladies jumped and pushed at each other. Unfortunately for them, the bouquet sailed over their heads and was snatched up by Torio, who was standing all the way in the back. As she triumphantly held up her prize, an overzealous noblewoman tackled her, slamming her into the table the three women were sitting at. Elanee and Zhjaeve were quick to jump away, but not Qara. The soup tureen in the middle of the table, thankfully containing cold pea soup, tipped over. Its contents spilled all over the young sorceress. She jumped up swearing.

"Damn it! Look at this mess," she cursed. Fire formed around her hand as she prepared to punish whoever made the soup spill on her. Zhjaeve grabbed the girl's shoulder in an iron grip.

"Know that I will smash your face in if you so much as try anything," she warned in her pleasant deep voice.

Elanee burst out laughing. "Gods Zhjaeve! You must've been around Khelgar for too long. Better do what she says," she teased Qara.

"Fine," the mage grumbled. "I'm too attached to my face to lose it over some spilled pea soup and ruined robes."

"A wise choice," Zhjaeve said, nodding solemnly.

Torio scrambled to her feet, clutching the bouquet for dear life. Disappointed, all the other women went back to their tables and eyed Torio with envious looks. She stuck out her tongue to them and did a little victory dance.

"And who of the gentlemen wants my garter?" Chrysanthemum yelled. All men cheered. Bevil reached under her skirt without looking and briefly caressed her thigh before sliding the garter down her leg. He triumphantly waved it around, inciting more cheers from all men present. Sand stood in the back and wasn't engaging in the cheer. Instead he was sipping a glass of elven wine, thinking of new formulae to try out.

"And what if you catch it? Are you supposed to wear it?" Grobnar asked curiously. Neeshka rolled her eyes.

"No, you dummy. It's like the bouquet. The guy who catches the garter, is the first to get married," she explained.

"Oooooh," Grobnar said, nodding vehemently. He took a notebook from his pocket and quickly jotted down a line before putting it away again.

Bevil covered his eyes with one hand and with the other randomly threw the garter away. It sailed over the heads of the gathered men, all of them making a grab for it and pushing each other. None of them was succesful. Instead, the garter got caught on one of Sand's elegantly pointed ears. He didn't even notice, lost in thoughts of vials and reagents. The gathered men all turned to him and cheered.

"Hmmm?" Why were they al looking at him like that? But then he noticed something hanging off his ear, something lacy. The elven wizard snatched it from there and looked at it incredulously, his cheeks turning bright red. Torio was craning her neck to see who had caught the garter. She and Sand locked eyes, grey eyes meeting blue. Torio felt her face become hot as Sand's blush deepened even further.

Chrysanthemum gave them an encouraging wink and Bevil showed them two thumbs up, flashing his teeth in a wide grin. The wizard and the former ambassador smiled at them awkwardly. Then Bevil picked Chrysanthemum up and carried her in his arms.

"Good night everyone! Thanks for coming," she said, waving to all the guests. They shouted wishes of luck, happiness and many other things to the happy couple, as well as some lewd comments. Everyone knew what newlyweds did on their first wedding night. Except for Grobnar, who wondered what the obscene shouts were all about. "What do they mean? Do _what_ to her well?" he asked, utterly puzzled. Neeshka and Khelgar looked at each other and simultaneously slapped their palms against their foreheads. Nobody noticed Sand and Torio slipping out of the room soon after.

All the way to their bedroom, Bevil and Chrysanthemum kissed passionately. He carried her over the threshold and closed the door behind them. As soon as he had laid her on the bed, his hands were all over her. His lips moved from her mouth to her neck and placed a row of wet kisses along her cleavage, while his hands massaged her breasts. She swiftly took his shirt off, her movements so eager that a few rips appeared in the fabric. One of her hands pulled the front of his trousers forward, while the other disappeared into them and took a firm hold of his erection, pumping up and down the shaft.

"I want you inside me right now," she panted. "Here, feel how wet you've made me," she said, taking his hand and laying it between her legs. His fingers immediately rubbed between her lips, feeling how her juices trickled out of her. He inspected his fingers and licked them.

"Oh yeah, you're definitely ready," he said and got off the bed. There was a chair in the room and he sat down on it. With his right hand he seized his hard penis and commenced playing with it.

"Come here and sit on this," he beckoned her. Biting her lip and intently watching the movements of his hand, she approached him and straddled his thighs. Slowly she lowered herself onto him, moaning as his large member gradually stretched her out. When he was completely inside her, she threw back her head and let out a long-drawn moan of intense pleasure. She moved her body up and down, her arms wrapped around his neck. He had his face buried in her neck and showered her with kisses while she rode him. She let his erection slip halfway out of her wet, contracting vagina, then pushed him deeper into her. They moaned in unison whenever he came into her deeper. She was so wet that he could feel droplets of her juices splashing onto him whenever she came down.

Chrysanthemum became more and more enthusiastic in her movements, riding him harder and harder. Wanting to continue their act for a longer time, he stopped her. Her movements excited him so much he was nearly about to come.

"No, please let me go on," she begged.

"Don't you want to go on for longer?" he asked her. "See, if you keep on going, I'll come in less than a minute. Now, stand up," he commanded her. She did so, looking disappointed. He moved her to the door, placing her hands on the surface of it.

"Brace yourself," he warned her. Curious to know what he was about to do, she simply did as she was told. He hiked up her skirt, bent his knees and penetrated her in one smooth thrust. Gasping, she moaned and pressed her breasts against the door. He slipped his right arm around her waist and used his left hand to support himself against the door. Lovingly she placed her hand on his and held it.

He began thrusting into her, at first slowly and gently. Her vagina felt wet, warm and smooth around his member. He was now so hard it almost hurt. His thrusting became harder and faster when she begged for more. Her vaginal muscles contracted around him tightly and he moaned loudly, biting down into her shoulder. She still bore a scar from the last time he'd done that. Thinking of the first time they'd made love in his house, at risk of getting caught, brought him very close to orgasm. He warned her he was about to come and got ready to pull out.

"Just come inside me," she moaned enticingly.

"What? But you could get pregnant," he panted.

"That's the whole point. I want to have your babies," she said, turning her head towards him and showing him a sweet smile. He felt his heart overflowing with love for her.

"Really? You're sure?"

"Yes… Positive. We are going to start a whole new Starling family. Come on, I want to know what it feels like," she moaned and contracted the muscles of her vagina tightly. After one last powerful thrust, his penis started throbbing wildly. She greatly enjoyed feeling it expand in her vagina. He moaned loudly and ejaculated inside her. Her contracting muscles milked every last little droplet out of him. Staying inside her, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.

"I love you so much," he told her, his voice out of breath.

"I love you too, my angel," she purred and turned her face towards him for a kiss. Their lips met briefly. He withdrew his now limp penis from her and she kneeled down in front of him on her knees. Gently she licked him clean while his semen dripped out of her, leaving a little puddle on the floor. After that, they spent a long time simply kissing and holding each other.

Suddenly Bevil yawned. "It's sure been a long day. Time to go to sleep." He undressed and got into bed naked. "Will you join me, my beautiful wife?" He patted the pillows next to him. Chrysanthemum raised an eyebrow. "Oh no, my dearest husband," she said, wagging her finger at him. Behind her, her fingers had been working at undoing the lacing on the back of her dress. Abruptly she dropped it on the floor. Bevil was suddenly wide awake. Chrysanthemum had revealed the red corset and black stockings she was wearing under her wedding dress.

Beckoning him to her, she said seductively: "I don't plan on letting you get _any_ sleep tonight."


End file.
